SONG OF THE DAY
“Smile” by David Gilmour (On An Island, Columbia Records, 2006). Written by David Gilmour and Polly Samson.
INTERESTING FACTS (a la wikipedia)
– “Smile” is a single by guitarist and vocalist David Gilmour, released on June 13, 2006.
– The song “Smile” was first performed at Gilmour’s 2001 and 2002 live shows (and also on the accompanying DVD) where Gilmour introduced it as “This is a new one so if you are bootlegging, start your machines now.”
– It was eventually recorded at his houseboat studio, the Astoria, for the 2006 album On An Island.
– During the three nights at the Royal Albert Hall during his On An Island tour in 2006, empty CD wallets bearing the Smile single cover, and a CD-sticker were left on seats of audience members who would discover them on arrival, each one bearing a unique number. The idea was to download the single from iTunes, burn it to a CD-R, place the CD shaped sticker onto the burned CD and keep it in the wallet.
– Island Jam was initially available via Gilmour’s website before being made more widely available.
– On an Island is the third solo album by David Gilmour, best known as a lead vocalist and guitarist for Pink Floyd.
– It is Gilmour’s first new solo album in 22 years.
– The album has achieved platinum status in Canada, selling over 100,000 copies in the first month of its release, and sold over 1.5 million copies worldwide.
– Notable appearances include Robert Wyatt, Jools Holland, Georgie Fame, David Crosby and Graham Nash, as well as original Pink Floyd members Richard Wright and Nick Mason and a member of an early incarnation of Pink Floyd, Bob Klose.
– Much of the album was recorded in Gilmour’s private studio aboard his houseboat Astoria.
– The track “Smile” was heard briefly in an unmastered form on the BBC2 show Three Men In A Boat which retraced a trip on the River Thames that passed the houseboat.
– Orchestrations on the album were arranged by noted Polish film composer Zbigniew Preisner and conducted by Robert Ziegler.
– In 2009, it was chosen The Greatest Solo Album by a former band member by classic rock station Planet Rock.
– The song features David Gilmour on guitars, vocals, percussion, Hammond Organ, bass guitar, Polly Samson on vocals, Willie Wilson on drums and orchestrations by Zbigniew Preisner.